Thousands of Devotees Gather for Robe Changing Ceremony Honoring Late Luang Pu Khruba Chai Yangsa
Thousands of devotees honored the late Luang Pu Khruba Chai Yangsa Pattana at a robe changing ceremony in Lamphun Province on May 17, marking 26 years since his passing.
Thousands of devotees gathered on May 17, 2026, at Wat Phra Phutthabat Huai Tom in Na Trai Subdistrict, Li District, Lamphun Province, for a robe changing ceremony honoring Phra Khruba Chai Yangsa Pattana on the 26th anniversary of his passing. The ceremony, held from May 15-17, 2026, was presided over by Phra Thep Rattana Nayok, the provincial sangha leader, with Deputy Governor Yothin Prasangkhwamdi serving as the lay representative. Processions of merit-making vehicles and enormous crowds filled the temple and parking areas.
Luang Pu Khruba Yangsa Pattana, born Chaiyang Taheng in a poor farming family on April 22, 1913 (Tuesday, the second waxing moon of the seventh lunar month in the Year of the Tiger), was born in Ban Kho Nong, Mueang 2, Ko Subdistrict, Li District, Lamphun Province. He was the third of nine children born to parents Chantha and Bua Kaew Taheng. At age 12, he became a temple novice at Wat Ko Tha (Wat Mae Ping Nuea).
He was ordained as a Buddhist novice on May 6, 1925 (the 15th waxing moon of the eighth lunar month) at Wat Kaeng Saroy in Muag District, Chiang Mai Province, under the preceptor Khruba Chailunga, and was given the name "Chaiyang Lunga Samanen." He became a dedicated follower of Luang Pu Khruba Sri Wichai's monastic traditions.
Throughout his life, Luang Pu Khruba Yangsa was renowned not only for his exemplary moral conduct and precepts, but also for his exceptional architectural expertise, excelling in both masonry and carpentry work. He passed away at the age of 87, having completed 67 Buddhist vows.
